Container cleanliness measurement apparatus and method, and substrate processing system

Abstract

A container cleanliness measurement apparatus capable of preventing particles from being adhered to substrates, while improving the operation efficiency of a container for housing substrates. An FOUP inspection apparatus includes a particle-separation promoting nozzle for promoting separation of particles adhered to an inner wall of an FOUP and to carries for holding peripheral portions of wafers inside the FOUP, a particle collecting nozzle for collecting particles separated from the inner wall of the FOUP, etc., and a particle counter for measuring an amount of collected particles. The particle-separation promoting nozzle and the particle collecting nozzle constitute a probe nozzle which is adapted to enter inside the FOUP.

1. A container cleanliness measurement apparatus comprising:
 a separation promoting unit adapted to promote separation of particles; 
 a collection unit adapted to collect separated particles 
 a measurement unit adapted to measure an amount of collected particles; and 
 a lid holder adapted to open and close a lid of a container which is adapted to house substrates, 
 wherein said lid holder opens the lid so that said separation promoting unit and said collection unit enter inside the container. 
 
     
     
       2. The container cleanliness measurement apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said separation promoting unit and said collection unit are each formed into an elongated nozzle shape having an opening formed therein. 
     
     
       3. The container cleanliness measurement apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the opening of said collection unit is formed to surround the opening of said separation promoting unit. 
     
     
       4. The container cleanliness measurement apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein said collection unit has a pipe shape, and an outer diameter of said collection unit is set 1 cm to 2 cm. 
     
     
       5. The container cleanliness measurement apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said separation promoting unit and said collection unit have pipe shapes, and said separation promoting unit and said collection unit has nearly the same in diameter, and are disposed side-by-side. 
     
     
       6. The container cleanliness measurement apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said separation promoting unit and said collection unit are integrally constituted as a shower head. 
     
     
       7. The container cleanliness measurement apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said separation promoting unit is adapted to inject at least water vapor. 
     
     
       8. The container cleanliness measurement apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said collection unit is connected to an exhaust apparatus, and a moisture collection unit is disposed between said collection unit and said exhaust apparatus. 
     
     
       9. The container cleanliness measurement apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said separation promoting unit is adapted to inject heated gas. 
     
     
       10. The container cleanliness measurement apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said separation promoting unit is adapted to inject a substance with two possible phase states of gas and liquid phases or of gas and solid phases. 
     
     
       11. The container cleanliness measurement apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said separation promoting unit is adapted to inject gas while varying a flow speed of the gas to make the gas act as a pulsed wave. 
     
     
       12. The container cleanliness measurement apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said separation promoting unit and said collection unit are adapted to scan a region of a predetermined area. 
     
     
       13. The container cleanliness measurement apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said measurement unit is adapted to observe scattered light generated by laser light irradiation onto the collected particles. 
     
     
       14. The container cleanliness measurement apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said measurement unit includes a flow path adapted to permit the collected particles to flow therethrough and having a bent portion, and a pressure-sensitive device disposed in the bent portion of the flow path so as to face a flow of an exhaust including the particles. 
     
     
       15. The container cleanliness measurement apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said separation promoting unit promotes particle separation by injecting a cleaning substance including a gas to a surface of a measurement object part at a speed in which a boundary layer is not produced thereon. 
     
     
       16. A substrate processing system including a substrate receiving apparatus adapted to receive substrates by being connected with a container which is adapted to house the substrates, and a substrate processing apparatus adapted to perform processing on the received substrates, wherein:
 said substrate receiving apparatus includes a separation promoting unit adapted to promote separation of particles, a collection unit adapted to collect separated particles, and a lid holder adapted to open and close a lid of the container; 
 the lid holder opens the lid so that said separation promoting unit and said collection unit enter inside the container connected to said substrate receiving apparatus; and 
 the substrate processing system further includes a measurement unit adapted to measure an amount of collected particles. 
 
     
     
       17. The substrate processing system according to  claim 16 , wherein said substrate processing apparatus is adapted to perform any one of etching, CVD, heat treatment, diffusion processing, and substrate cleaning.